| BRAVEHEART (1995) won 5 Oscars including the | | | | a war path that leads to his eventual capture and |
| Best Film and Best Director awards for Mel | | | | public death under torture. (For trivia fans -- the |
| Gibson. It was also nominated for 5 more Oscars | | | | COMPASSION OF CHRIST is NOT the first movie |
| including the Best Writing, Screenplay Written | | | | in which Gibson is stretched across a crucifix.) Yet |
| Directly for the Screen, penned by Randall | | | | Wallace's legacy survives his beheading and sets |
| Wallace. | | | | Scotland free in the 14th century. |
| William Wallace, played by Mel Gibson, is a | | | | Fantastic musical score with irresistible bagpipes, |
| "reluctant hero" from 13th century Scotland in the | | | | married to equally fantastic scenery and battle |
| classic mythological mold described by Joseph | | | | scenes jarring in their ferocity and realism, make |
| Campbell in his Hero With a Thousand faces. | | | | it a good watch indeed. Wallace's last word under |
| All Wallace wants to do is marry, become a | | | | torture is a long scream -- "Freeeedom!" Who can |
| farmer like his father and carry on in peace. He is | | | | remain impartial to that? |
| a reluctant hero. But things change after his wife | | | | The gravel-voiced Patrick MacGoohan who plays |
| is slaughtered by the local men of King of England | | | | Edward 1st is as good as Gibson since he makes |
| Edward the 1st -- Edward the Longshanks. | | | | a very credible foe to whip the dramatic tension |
| His fate forces Wallace to take on both the King | | | | nonstop throughout the film. Without a nemesis as |
| of England and the Scottish landed nobility who flip | | | | amoral, tricky and dangerous as Edward |
| sides at the drop of a hat. His desire to take his | | | | Longshanks, Wallace's goodness and integrity |
| wife's revenge and set Scotland free sets him on | | | | would not stand out in such high relief. |